Lecturers appointed through the State Selection Board (SSB) launched a major protest in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, demanding recognition of their constitutional rights and parity with government college teachers.
Moreover, the agitation took place at Lower PMG under the banner of the Odisha State Selection Board Lecturers Association (OSLA).
During the protest, Bhubaneswar Central MLA Ananta Narayan Jena visited the site, listened to the lecturers’ grievances, and assured them that he would raise the matter in the Assembly.
In addition, the association presented a seven-point charter of demands. They highlighted that the Odisha Education Act of 1969 and the 1974 recruitment and service rules clearly mandate merit-based appointments through the SSB for aided college teachers. However, the suspension of SSB recruitment between 1989 and 2016 undermined this legal framework. As a result, irregular systems such as block grants, grant-in-aid validation, and management appointments distorted the service structure of aided colleges.
Furthermore, OSLA leaders stressed that SSB-appointed lecturers perform the same teaching, examination, and administrative duties as government college teachers but remain deprived of service parity. They argued that despite being appointed under direct payment rules and placed under government transfer and administrative control, their entitlements have been withheld for years.
Consequently, the lecturers demanded pay scales ranging from Rs 15,600 to Rs 39,100 with AGP Rs 6,000, recognition as state government employees, and designation as Assistant Professors (Stage-1) under UGC norms and the 2016 Gazette. They also sought full-service benefits, including HRA, medical facilities, family pension, gratuity, and leave encashment, along with eligibility for administrative posts. Additionally, they pressed for amendments to the Odisha Education Act and expedited decisions on pending promotions for the 2016 batch.
Finally, the association warned that if the government fails to meet their demands, they will intensify the agitation. Nearly 4,500 lecturers from across Odisha participated in the protest, signalling growing unrest in the state’s higher education sector.
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